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Truck Club Profile - Assorted Miniatures

Showfest Is Back!

Here's a few of the Mini Truckin' features that Assorted has had over the years.

Assorted Minis started off as just a small group of buds who wanted to create a family atmosphere for friends who shared a common hobby and passion.

When Assorted first began, it was just an idea that it would just be fun to gather together, travel to shows, and hang out. They never had a long-term plan or direction; they just wanted to enjoy their friendships and the love of minitruckin'. Now, almost 20 years later, they are known worldwide as the club that hosts one of the scene's most beloved shows. Showfest will be returning to the show circuit with a new venue this year, so we thought now would be a great time to dig a little deeper into the club known as Assorted Miniatures.

History of Club
Assorted Miniatures began back in 1992 as a handful of friends with the common interest of customizing minitrucks. It was formed by Robert Beard of Oak Grove, Louisiana. As other clubs were out to become big by adding chapters, Assorted adopted a "quality over quantity" rule and vowed to keep the club a tight knit family. Along the way they realized that there weren't enough good shows in their area, so they decided to host one of their own. Little did they know, back when they started Showfest that it would one day become the nation's biggest show and Mini Truckin's Show of the Year! Over the years, their membership has expanded to include VWs, compacts, and fullsizes, so they've shortened their identity to simply be known as Assorted.

How It All Started
Sean Burnley (now owner of BodyShot Custom Airbrush) remembers at one of his very first shows in the early '90s seeing this one club from Louisiana roll up with a bunch of really amazing trucks. It seemed like everyone just stopped what they were doing and drooled over their handiwork. Sean remembers Rob saying, "See guys, that's what we want to happen when WE show up." Whether it was ego or vanity, or just good old fashion pride, Assorted was the club that got respect in the South.

What Does the Future Hold?
Going forward, Assorted wants to rekindle and strengthen their original friendships and get back to focusing on why they started the club in the first place. They're also faced with resurrecting Showfest for the new generation of minitruckers hoping to have them experience an old-school feel from the shows in years past. Just good ol' fashioned fun with good friends, showing off their rides and no one trying to head-butt the soda machine at the hotel (ha ha).

These are the eight members of Assorted that remain. These eight guys, including Sean, Beau, Rob, Chad, Robin, and Keith are responsible for Showfest and its return in 2010.

These are the eight members of Assorted that remain. These eight guys, including Sean, Bea

Major Accomplishments
Assorted has had many accomplishments over the years. They have had eight members' vehicles featured in major magazines including all of the features in Mini Truckin' you see here. That is a major accomplishment when Assorted has never had more than 12 members. They also have been lucky enough to have had Showfest chosen as show of the year not once, but TWICE!

Major Contributions
Their "quality over quantity" approach paid off early. Within a few short years of starting the club, most of the members' rides were featured. In addition, Assorted would like to acknowledge that their members have truly worked miracles by producing a show like Showfest with only eight members. Of course they owe a lot of gratitude to their volunteers and everyone who comes out to support the show. Assorted donates the proceeds from the show to the Mississippi Burn Association. They estimate they've donated between $150,000 and $200,000 to the cause since they began.

Good Times
It's just the little things that remind Assorted of the good times they've shared. Things like helping a member polish their wheels and get all cleaned up for a show. Or watching the gleam of a sunrise through the back glass of your buddy's truck as the crew is traveling to some far destination for a show or cruise. And of course just throwing back a few brews on someone's patio talking about the latest issue of Mini Truckin'.

Club's Most Important Characteristic
They would say, "Our stubborn ability to keep moving forward as a club."

A Club Story People Wouldn't Know
Sean Burnley recounts: "For me, I still get a laugh thinking back about one of our first trips to Texas Heat Wave. I met at Rob's house to roll out on a Friday afternoon. As with many of our show trips, we didn't leave until around 3 a.m. because when I got there his truck was in 50 pieces. After getting his truck back together we finally got on the road. I remember trying to navigate some pretty poor Louisiana highways full of thumps and bumps. I was watching Rob ahead of me apparently dozing as his Nissan bounced off several of those big concrete divider barriers... sparks in the dead of night flying off his nice shiny billet wheels, and it was dragging before we knew what dragging was! I think he even took out a few orange barrels along the way. I'm pretty sure parts of his truck are still in East Bumble, Louisiana. In fact, looking back on the trip now, I'm surprised we even made it to Austin that year!"